WILD HARE WEEKLY SUMMER#15/18

The onset of September sure feels abrupt this year, and with four weeks remaining in our Summer Season, we’re trying to hang on to whatever tender bits we can before the fading summer indeed passes us by. We’re cherishing every last crisp cucumber, packing the freezer with Basil Pesto and putting odds and ends of fruit onto the food dehydrator (which I’ll admit, I’ve dusted off for the first time in way too long). I never thought I’d see the day, but Mark is talking about freezing some zucchini for us to use in quick batches of Curry or Mock Crab Cakes.

I have to point out that the pie pumpkin you see pictured here hasn’t turned full on orange just yet, but it will verysoon. It is a great time to think about (and register for) the 2018 Fall CSA, which will begin on October 2nd. If you love Apples, Winter Squash, and curling up with warm bowls of soup, the Fall CSA has your name written all over it and we’d love to feed you. Fall Share does bring about a few changes from Summer, so please be aware of the following:

· We’ve adjusted the timing of the Fall CSA this year—it will run 11 Weeks from October 2nd-December 12th this year, which is different from the rhythm of previous years.

· We scale back our hours to just Tuesdays (12-7) and Wednesdays (10-5) with the onset of October, so you’ll want to schedule your farm visits with that in mind. Wednesday night Browns Point Pickup will continue for the Fall, but weekend and Broadway Market pickupswill end during the last week of September .

· After reviewing the production costs and trends, Mark and I have determined that the price of Egg Shares needs to increase to $7/dozen with the start of the Fall CSA. Thank you for your understanding and support—pricing increases are by no means easy, but this one is crucial. If you have paid for your Year-Round Share or Spring Summer Fall Share in full, you will not have to pay the increased rate until your next renewal. However, if you are on a recurring payment plan of any kind, the new egg price will kick in with your October billing date. Please, let me know if you need to make any changes to your share heading into Fall. I’m happy to help out.

· As many of you know, things shift in fall and so much of what we do is impacted by the shortening of daylight hours and lower temps—hens lay fewer eggs and plants grow at a glacial pace, even in greenhouses. Salad Shares and Egg Shares are particularly limited between now and next Spring; therefore, we are asking that members continuing from Summer to Fall reserve their spots by registering for their shares and add-ons no later than September 15th.

So, now that you’ve made it through all of that, Happy Labor Day, everyone. I hope you’re enjoying a bit of what you will today. We are using it as an excuse to work on some projects that wouldn’t otherwise take priority. Mark and Hazel are in the shop tinkering with implements, getting a mower ready to hook up to an old tractor that we bought when she was just a baby—there’s a whole lot of grease, gloves and Ariana Grande involved, but it gets the job done.